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John Parezo, Head Vocal Director
John Parezo is the head choir and show choir director at Jefferson High School in Sioux Falls, SD. In just a few years, the JHS choir program has grown into a highly successful and award-winning program. The JHS Concert Choir and Chorale have consistently earned superior ratings at the SDHSAA Large Group Contest, and in 2025, Concert Choir was selected to perform at the SD-ACDA Midwinter Conference. Legacy Show Choir has consistently placed in finals, earning at least one grand championship title each year.
Parezo is actively involved in the South Dakota choral community, currently serving as the All-State Show Choir Chair for the South Dakota High School Activities Association and as President of the SD Region II Music Association. He is a dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and previously served in leadership roles at the state and regional levels. He was honored with the SD-ACDA Overture Award in 2017 and twice named Roosevelt High School Assistant Director of the Year.
Parezo holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from South Dakota State University. Outside of teaching, he is an FAA-certified commercial hot air balloon pilot and operates a hot air balloon ride company in South Dakota.
Parezo is actively involved in the South Dakota choral community, currently serving as the All-State Show Choir Chair for the South Dakota High School Activities Association and as President of the SD Region II Music Association. He is a dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and previously served in leadership roles at the state and regional levels. He was honored with the SD-ACDA Overture Award in 2017 and twice named Roosevelt High School Assistant Director of the Year.
Parezo holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from South Dakota State University. Outside of teaching, he is an FAA-certified commercial hot air balloon pilot and operates a hot air balloon ride company in South Dakota.
Rebecca Bartz, Assistant Vocal Director
Rebecca (Hiigel) Bartz is the assistant choir and show choir director at Jefferson High School, where she leads the Green and Gold Choirs, Declaration Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and Revelry Show Choir, in addition to teaching AP Music Theory. Under her direction, Revelry has earned multiple top honors in the unisex division, along with two recent finals appearances. Declaration Vocal Jazz has received numerous awards and outstanding soloist recognitions over the past few years.
A Sioux Falls native, Mrs. Bartz graduated from the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, IL, earning a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Education with a focus on French Horn Performance and Music Education. She also pursued independent studies in vocal pedagogy and is currently earning a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Sioux Falls.
Before joining Jefferson, Mrs. Bartz taught in various schools in the Chicagoland area and later in Sioux Falls, where she worked with orchestra and choir programs at the elementary and middle school levels.
Beyond teaching, she serves as the Region II Music Association Secretary and Treasurer and is the Personnel Manager for the Sioux Falls Municipal Band. An accomplished performer, she has sung with the DePaul Concert Choir, multiple honors choirs, and has played leading roles in musical theater productions in both Sioux Falls and Chicago.
At home, Mrs. Bartz and her husband, Aaron, share their lives with a small zoo of animals. She is passionate about shaping Jefferson’s fine arts program and inspiring her students to grow as musicians and performers.
A Sioux Falls native, Mrs. Bartz graduated from the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, IL, earning a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Education with a focus on French Horn Performance and Music Education. She also pursued independent studies in vocal pedagogy and is currently earning a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Sioux Falls.
Before joining Jefferson, Mrs. Bartz taught in various schools in the Chicagoland area and later in Sioux Falls, where she worked with orchestra and choir programs at the elementary and middle school levels.
Beyond teaching, she serves as the Region II Music Association Secretary and Treasurer and is the Personnel Manager for the Sioux Falls Municipal Band. An accomplished performer, she has sung with the DePaul Concert Choir, multiple honors choirs, and has played leading roles in musical theater productions in both Sioux Falls and Chicago.
At home, Mrs. Bartz and her husband, Aaron, share their lives with a small zoo of animals. She is passionate about shaping Jefferson’s fine arts program and inspiring her students to grow as musicians and performers.